The Provincial Grand Master, RW Bro Richard Olliver opened the Dedication ceremony by saying Ladies, Gentlemen & Brethren. Firstly may I thank you for attending this evening, it is a privilege and pleasure to welcome you all to this very special occasion.
The dedication of a Banner is a rare occurrence in any Lodge and one that can create an immense amount of interest. The Valentia Lodge of MMM No. 623 is the fifth oldest Lodge in the Province of Berkshire at over 100 years old, being consecrated in 1910. In 2010 we celebrated the Lodge’s centenary with a meeting at the Wellington College, where it was consecrated, and it was muted then, that the Lodge would like to strive to obtain a banner.
Tonight Ladies, Gentlemen & Brethren we see that aspiration come to fruition. There are a few occasions in the life of any Lodge that can be said to be truly exceptional. I believe this is one of those exceptional occasions, a milestone in the history of the Lodge as we witness the Dedication of a Banner to the Valentia Lodge of MMM No. 623.
The process of commissioning a new banner is not one to be undertaken lightly. Firstly the members have to believe they want one, the money then has to be raised, the banner designed, approved by Provincial Grand Lodge and ultimately The Grand Lodge of MMM. The supplier needs to be found, at an affordable cost of course, and if that’s not enough the ceremony of Dedication has has to organised. All credit for this goes to W Bro Tim Dummer, Secretary of the Lodge, seen here on the left receiving the thanks from the members for undertaking the task.
Following the dedication of the Banner, where the Ladies were invited, the Brethren, Ladies and Guests retired to the Festive Board in the adjoining dining room. The atmosphere was one of celebration and enjoyment for a job well done. In fact the PGM was heard to say that he really enjoyed the ceremony and he was looking forward to his next banner dedication so watch this space.
